Unionists in the Republic?

El Siglo

KeithAFC wrote: »

You say stop voting for retards but what options do they really have?

To be honest with you, given the state of most TDs I would say a ball-less chimp with a head injury could do a better job.

John Doe1

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

Donegal the lost county of the UK???


Let me tell you if Donegal had been partitioned .. the trouble in South Armagh wouldve looked like school playgroud fights with the resources , countryside & men the IRA would have had here!

If the laggan valley was given over to tyrone/derry, and derry city given to donegal like planned, i doubt there would have been much fighting.

The laggan is predominantly protestant:)

oranbhoy67

John Doe1 wrote: »

If the laggan valley was given over to tyrone/derry, and derry city given to donegal like planned, i doubt there would have been much fighting.

The laggan is predominantly protestant:)

Well ive no care for religion i just know that if they had tried to keep any of donegal in the uk there wouldve been a consideratly more butal war known as the troubles than what we saw.


Anyway isnt Donegal a great advert for the fact that unionist people can live in a free Ireland without losing their identity???.. i see the orange walk here and they march away to where there going and nobody bothers them at all.. all the unionist poilitcans did was fill loyalist heads with nonense about how a united Ireland would crush them with help from rome... which is of course complete nonsense & doesnt stand up in this day and age... but its still being peddled by these unionist politicans /preachers to this day sadly!

John Doe1

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

Well ive no care for religion i just know that if they had tried to keep any of donegal in the uk there wouldve been a consideratly more butal war known as the troubles than what we saw.


Anyway isnt Donegal a great advert for the fact that unionist people can live in a free Ireland without losing their identity???.. i see the orange walk here and they march away to where there going and nobody bothers them at all.. all the unionist poilitcans did was fill loyalist heads with nonense about how a united Ireland would crush them with help from rome... which is of course complete nonsense & doesnt stand up in this day and age... but its still being peddled by these unionist politicans /preachers to this day sadly![/QUOTE

Well who knows maybe maybe not:)

To be fair theres some secterianism in donegal that isnt there in other counties in the republic, when the royal preceptory march went through raphoe, the catholic community werent exactly pleased.

Yeah i would agree with that to a certain extent.

Anyway heres a thesis i found which is quite interesting, its to do with the boundary commision

http://www.ucd.ie/ibis/filestore/wp2006/79/79_kr.pdf

Chuck Stone

El Siglo wrote: »

There's a very simple solution, yet difficult to implement in all countries:

STOP VOTING FOR RETARDS!

FYP a wee bit (hope you don't mind)

The above goes for the US, UK and many other countries too in my books.

oppenheimer1

There is some sort of unionist drinking club in and around Portobello in Dublin afaik.

dsmythy

Honest opinion wrote: »

The only Unionists in the Republic of Ireland are the ones who live under bridges on the Internet

Silly statement. It's a legitimate viewpoint. I don't agree with it but some will have it.

K-9

John Doe1 wrote: »

Well ive no care for religion i just know that if they had tried to keep any of donegal in the uk there wouldve been a consideratly more butal war known as the troubles than what we saw.


Anyway isnt Donegal a great advert for the fact that unionist people can live in a free Ireland without losing their identity???.. i see the orange walk here and they march away to where there going and nobody bothers them at all.. all the unionist poilitcans did was fill loyalist heads with nonense about how a united Ireland would crush them with help from rome... which is of course complete nonsense & doesnt stand up in this day and age... but its still being peddled by these unionist politicans /preachers to this day sadly![/QUOTE

Well who knows maybe maybe not:)

To be fair theres some secterianism in donegal that isnt there in other counties in the republic, when the royal preceptory march went through raphoe, the catholic community werent exactly pleased.

Yeah i would agree with that to a certain extent.

Anyway heres a thesis i found which is quite interesting, its to do with the boundary commision

http://www.ucd.ie/ibis/filestore/wp2006/79/79_kr.pdf

If you look for something hard enough, you'll find it! .

Here in East Donegal we get on damn fine. Trips to GAA matches and even Croker and Rossnowlagh. Shinners from Dublin trying to politicise the 12th march here were laughed at.

The majority of us get along with our lives. A few make a big deal of it, as they always will do.

Nodin

LordSutch wrote: »

Live & let live within reason, (No IRA Rebel songs in Hotles & Clubs) would not be an infringement on a live & let live approach (in this New Ireland at peace) with itself and with Britain. .

So its "live and let live" as long as you have approval over the elements of culture that are allowed. Great advertising for the union there. Anything else for the black list?

LordSutch wrote: »

After thirty five years of the troubles, with so much hate, dont you think its time to stop banging the old drum? If I'd known post#75 was going to cause you so much angst I would't have bothered.

Can we move on now . . . .

If I was aware of a poster saying "I think bertie Ahern is the greatest leader this country has ever had" and similar statements, and then spotted him stating that he always knew "de bert" was a chancer and never had any time for him, I would pop out of a bowl of rice with the appropriate quote.

Freddie59

KeithAFC wrote: »

You say stop voting for retards but what options do they really have?

No more than you do.

up for anything

minidazzler wrote: »

I think we should be, but I'm not a unionist, I just think they would do a better job than the people we elect because Irish people are incapable of electing good officials. We shouldn't be trusted with a vote.

Yeah, like no other country is struggling under the weight of their elected officials! I've been a bad citizen and abstained from voting for the last 3/4 general elections because I couldn't in all conscience find a good official or anyone at all that was up for election in whom I could place my confidence and trust. It doesn't make me a hero for not voting. It's a fact of life that nobody is ever sad to see an outgoing government go in any country - people are relieved to be rid of them and hopeful for the future. Somehow though, it never works out like that.

I think you could have Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, Jesus Christ, Allah, Buddha and a whole host of other good or righteous people in one government and by the time they were voted out on a vote of no confidence, which they inevitably would be, they would have been corrupted, lined their pockets, jobs for the apostles, money siphoned off for Calcutta, smithe'ing and rewarding the equally undeserving etc.

The Irish people are no worse than the people of any other country at choosing people to vote for.

El Siglo wrote: »

There's a very simple solution, yet difficult to implement in this country:

STOP VOTING FOR RETARDS!

That's more of it!


Most people on boards have their ideas of how the country should be run, what policies they would implement, which way they would raise taxes, what areas they would make cuts in. Guaranteed that within 6 months if any of those people were elected to run the country they would be termed idiots and vilified by the very people here on boards that had thanked their election posts and ushered them in to power.

El Siglo

up for anything wrote: »

That's more of it!


Most people on boards have their ideas of how the country should be run, what policies they would implement, which way they would raise taxes, what areas they would make cuts in. Guaranteed that within 6 months if any of those people were elected to run the country they would be termed idiots and vilified by the very people here on boards that had thanked their election posts and ushered them in to power.

I didn't say on how the country should be run, I said that people shouldn't vote for the likes of Michael Healey-Rae, Matty McGrath, Michael Lowry, Ming Flanagan etc... Stop voting for idiots and idiot parties based on local issues. It's precisely that level of small mindedness that's got us into this whole fucking mess in the first place. The parochialism of this country is sickening some times, but it's not the only place in the world guilty of it. Start voting for the people who actually have a plan, a real plan, not a 'five point plan' that nobody has actually seen.

The problem is and this is the catch-22, in order to get elected you need to be a party member usually FF/FG, and even if you do get elected it could be more than a decade before you actually hold some position of power within a cabinet in order to effect some kind of change. By which time, the actual enthusiasm and willingness to effect positive changes has waned, idealism of any kind is crushed, and you're another cog vying for more and more expenses claims spouting nonsense on the Vincent Browne show. Anyone with any intelligence, experience of the real world and discernible skills would never actually go into politics for these reasons. It's a joke of a system, a bunch of old teachers running the country and not one of whom has actually worked a day in their lives since 1974.

up for anything

El Siglo wrote: »

I didn't say on how the country should be run, I said that people shouldn't vote for the likes of Michael Healey-Rae, Matty McGrath, Michael Lowry, Ming Flanagan etc... Stop voting for idiots and idiot parties based on local issues. It's precisely that level of small mindedness that's got us into this whole fucking mess in the first place. The parochialism of this country is sickening some times, but it's not the only place in the world guilty of it. Start voting for the people who actually have a plan, a real plan, not a 'five point plan' that nobody has actually seen.

So who are these people who have a plan?

El Siglo

up for anything wrote: »

So who are these people who have a plan?

If I knew that would I be posting in AH?

Cú Giobach

quietriot wrote: »

For what it's worth, I wouldn't describe myself as a unionist, however I hold a sometimes unpopular view that we were better off in the UK and that overall the ruling by the UK was a positive thing for Ireland and its development.

One of the things I like about living here compared to Britain is the low population density, since we have Britain to thank for that and without them we would have a very densely populated island with massive cities and urban sprawl, then for that I say, thank you Britain. People should embrace genocide/ethnic cleansing so that future generations (if there are any people left) can have the chance to live in a nice country uncluttered with masses of people.
Also regarding the Irish people in the part of the island still in the UK and the way they were treated for most of the 20th century, that would have been "character building" for them, hardship and depredation can be a positive thing, as the saying goes "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger".
Indeed, being in the UK did wonders for Ireland.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

I'm all for a union, but not with the UK. The UK is one of the few societies that is even more inefficient ****ed-up, terrified and downright paranoid, than Ireland.
If we're going into a union, let's merge with Scandanavia.

Noreen1

K-9 wrote: »

If you look for something hard enough, you'll find it! .

Here in East Donegal we get on damn fine. Trips to GAA matches and even Croker and Rossnowlagh. Shinners from Dublin trying to politicise the 12th march here were laughed at.

The majority of us get along with our lives. A few make a big deal of it, as they always will do.

+1000.
Likewise in West Donegal.

It's only when you cross the invisible line known as "The Border" that being Nationalist/Unionist, Catholic/Protestant dictates whether or not you will be accepted -and that, thankfully, is fading too!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

K-9 wrote: »

If you look for something hard enough, you'll find it! .

Here in East Donegal we get on damn fine. Trips to GAA matches and even Croker and Rossnowlagh. Shinners from Dublin trying to politicise the 12th march here were laughed at.

.

Living the dream!

LordSutch

Nodin wrote: »

So its "live and let live" as long as you have approval over the elements of culture that are allowed. Great advertising for the union there. Anything else for the black list?

Well I think "Pro IRA Rebel songs" played by bands in Hotels should be a thing of the past. Why pass the poison on to another generation of our youth? Surely its time to put all that hatred to bed once and for all. I honestly think we are now living in a new positive dispensation between Unionist & Nationalist on this island, and I think that's great . . . . . .

Manach

I'd favour a closer links to the UK, and possibly having representatives at Parliament, who might have more power than the MEPs that currently sit in Brussels.

Mickey Dazzler

NEVER NEVER NEVER

Nodin

LordSutch wrote: »

Well I think "Pro IRA Rebel songs" played by bands in Hotels should be a thing of the past. Why pass the poison on to another generation of our youth? Surely its time to put all that hatred to bed once and for all. I honestly think we are now living in a new positive dispensation between Unionist & Nationalist on this island, and I think that's great . . . . . .

.....one could say the same as regard orange songs, any and all monuments to any "british" figure, war etc. However that would rightly be seen as intolerance. You might look at your own attitudes before talking about others, tbh.

LordSutch

Nodin wrote: »

.....one could say the same as regard orange songs, any and all monuments to any "british" figure, war etc. However that would rightly be seen as intolerance. You might look at your own attitudes before talking about others, tbh.

Of course one could say the same about bands in Hotels playing Pro UVF/UFF songs, surely that goes without saying :rolleyes:

And as regards attitudes, yours stinks.

Nodin

LordSutch wrote: »

Of course one could say the same about bands in Hotels playing Pro UVF/UFF songs, surely that goes without saying .

...yet its only occurred to you now.

LordSutch wrote: »

And as regards attitudes, yours stinks.

A matter of opinion. It's one under which there's far more tolerance than yours, however.

gurramok

Spot Unionists in the Republic? Easy, they call these islands British Isles, their belonging to empire is still rich in their heads.

LordSutch

Nodin wrote: »

...yet its only occurred to you now.

A matter of opinion. It's one under which there's far more tolerance than yours, however.

Get lost Nodin, get off my case now!

I posted #75 #120 in good faith, and I don't need this crap from you.

GO AWAY.

Notorious97

LordSutch wrote: »

Get lost Nodin, get off my case now!

I posted #75 #120 in good faith, and I don't need this crap from you.

GO AWAY.

lol

John Doe1

Noreen1 wrote: »

+1000.
Likewise in West Donegal.

It's only when you cross the invisible line known as "The Border" that being Nationalist/Unionist, Catholic/Protestant dictates whether or not you will be accepted -and that, thankfully, is fading too!

I assume you mean the secterianism as you cross the border as opposed to the lack of secterianism in donegal:D

The Scientician

gurramok wrote: »

Spot Unionists in the Republic? Easy, they call these islands British Isles, their belonging to empire is still rich in their heads.

:rolleyes: Using the accepted geographical term for the islands doesn't make a person a unionist.

Chuck Stone

The Scientician wrote: »

:rolleyes: Using the accepted geographical term for the islands doesn't make a person a unionist.

I use 'these islands' when I'm talking about Britain & Ireland. When I say 'the mainland' I mean the European continental land mass.

The Scientician

Chuck Stone wrote: »

I use 'these islands' when I'm talking about Britain & Ireland. When I say 'the mainland' I mean the European continental land mass.

I say "Ireland & Britain" or "Britain & Ireland". However, I was disputing that anyone and everyone here who calls it "the British Isles" is a unionist. I've heard other politically correct terms but none of them have taken hold, North Atlantic Islands for one.

Salt001

I think you would find the UK doesnt want us.
They have enough problems of their own.

woodoo

Salt001 wrote: »

I think you would find the UK doesnt want us.
They have enough problems of their own.

If the figures are to be believed people in England wants rid of Scotland. They hardly want another country coming in.

123balltv

England cant afford us
but I would'nt mind the NHS why should I pay 50 euro for one visit for 2 minutes
hello goodbye Ireland is still so expensive :mad: sick of it

Salt001

The people in England may want rid of Scotland but the English government doesn't.
They would lose the huge revenue stream that flows from the north sea oil field.

nudepcguy

Salt001 wrote: »

The people in England may want rid of Scotland but the English government doesn't.
They would lose the huge revenue stream that flows from the north sea oil field.

Not an issue, lets just use the Falklands' instead.

the_syco

Chuck Stone wrote: »

When I say 'the mainland' I mean the European continental land mass.

How odd.When I say "mainland", I mean Germany.

El Siglo wrote: »

There's a very simple solution, yet difficult to implement in this country:

STOP VOTING FOR RETARDS!

If we join england, there'll be more to pick...

El Siglo wrote: »

I think the last real unionists down south

If they're still here, they must like it here, as they're not here for the jobs...!

LordSutch wrote: »

If I had my way, IRA Rebel songs would be banned from Hotels & Clubs, Yes!

If I had my way, there wouldn't be a loyalist or unionist left in the 32 counties... they would have been shipped to Scotland. There'd be probably plenty of Orangemen still left, though...

Cú Giobach wrote: »

Indeed, being in the UK did wonders for Ireland.

Once you don't include the famine, amongst other things, sure.

LordSutch wrote: »

Well I think "Pro IRA Rebel songs" played by bands in Hotels should be a thing of the past. Why pass the poison on to another generation of our youth? Surely its time to put all that hatred to bed once and for all. I honestly think we are now living in a new positive dispensation between Unionist & Nationalist on this island, and I think that's great . . . . . .

I agree with putting the hate to bed, but the bands that play the songs are generally invited to the hotels. Nothing better than a session with trad being played!

Freddie59

123balltv wrote: »

England cant afford us
but I would'nt mind the NHS why should I pay 50 euro for one visit for 2 minutes

Or not have to pay a "consultant" for EVERY recall visit.:mad:

Freddie59

LordSutch wrote: »

Well I think "Pro IRA Rebel songs" played by bands in Hotels should be a thing of the past. Why pass the poison on to another generation of our youth? Surely its time to put all that hatred to bed once and for all. I honestly think we are now living in a new positive dispensation between Unionist & Nationalist on this island, and I think that's great . . . . . .

Yeah. Let's conveniently forget about the slaughter and the dismantling of our language and culture. GFY.

Cú Giobach

the_syco wrote: »

Once you don't include the famine, amongst other things, sure.

But that was the biggest single reason for depopulation in our history, resulting in the wild unspoilt countryside we can appreciate today, it did absolute wonders for tourism.

lugha

livinonaprayer wrote: »

I am astounded that any Irish citizen today would wish to give up the freedom which their forefathers fought and died for. The people of Ireland should be proud of their heritage and thankful for their freedom and independence.

Alas, no one is listening. We have progressively being conceding more sovereignty with every EU treaty for nearly 40 years.

And what should it matter what our forefathers might think? If something is in our best interest in the here and now we quite clearly should pursue it.

Apart from a spreading of our debt load I see few good reasons why Ireland should lump back in with the UK. There is of course a bad reason, the same reason that entices so many to long for a united Ireland, the same one that drives unionists to resist a UI. And much the same one that explains much of the euro-phobia in GB. Good (bad?) old fashioned dingbat nationalism.

bobbysands81

KeithAFC wrote: »

The lost county is what we call it. Shame really. I think there is more Unionists in the Republic than some like to think.

In the 1980's Unionist candidates ran in General Elections in both Cork and Dublin, they got only a handful of votes.

I'd say there are very few Unionists in the 26 counties, ones that do exist probably come from or have some family ties to the north.

Nodin

lugha wrote: »

Alas, no one is listening. We have progressively being conceding more sovereignty with every EU treaty for nearly 40 years.

And what should it matter what our forefathers might think? If something is in our best interest in the here and now we quite clearly should pursue it.

..........

...which why we're pursuing closer ties to Europe.

Captain Graphite

Lapin wrote: »

I have yet to meet anyone who can give me one convincing reason why independence has been beneficial to the 26 counties south of the border.

We've won the Eurovision 7 times while the UK has only won 5.

The defence rests, your Honour....

Mike 1972

bobbysands81 wrote: »

In the 1980's Unionist candidates ran in General Elections in both Cork and Dublin, they got only a handful of votes.

But then lots of political ideas that are almost universally taken for granted today were at onetime considered the preserve of an eccentric fringe in pursuit of a lost cause !

Our day will come :pac:

lugha

Nodin wrote: »

...which why we're pursuing closer ties to Europe.

Which rather knocks on the head the notion in the post I replied to that the our sovereignty should be jealously protected.

Nodin

lugha wrote: »

Which rather knocks on the head the notion in the post I replied to that the our sovereignty should be jealously protected.

....its by choice, it's an economic union etc.

Nodin

Mike 1972 wrote: »

But then lots of political ideas that are almost universally taken for granted todaw were at onetime considered the preserve of an eccentric fringe in pursuit of a lost cause !

Our day will come :pac:

Since when did you jump ship?

071railfan

I'm a Unionist and I live firmly in the south. I myself am not religious athiest) but am of a catholic background.

As regards comment of the jist that "we don't deserve to run ourselves....etc etc" well thats bollox for sure.
However I also find the comments of one poster suggesting that not a single unionist would be left in the 32 to be highly offensive and I wager that if the same were said re black people or muslims it would not be acceptable. So i also think that is nonsense.

I am Irish as anyone here but I find the extent of the pro republican bile that is considered acceptable in ireland to be disgraceful. I fully agree with Lordstuch that rebel songs should not be allowed in pubs as they promote hatred and violence. Same can be said of loyalist "famine song" type stuff. Again, if it were songs promoting hatred of blacks or polish, there would be outrage but this stuff still seems to wash. I think it needs to be revisited.

I realise that rejoiing the UK is highly unlikely in the foreseeable future but among the benefits it would bring are:
- stable currency again,
- closer business and cultural relationships.
- as part of the UK, we (GB & Ire) would have greater clout on the global stage
- we'd retain the Dail for domestic affairs just as the Welsh Sened and Scotch parliament
- and for readers of the Walter Mitty Forum, we probably get some military improvements like maybe a small RAF station. Some of the lads over there have a hard-on for military aircraft for some reason!!!

To those who have said that we woudl recind our voting rights - your wrong, wrong, wrong. How would that be the case? We would still elect a home rule type parliament (call it the Dail if you so wish, just as the welsh call theirs the Sened), and would return MPs to westminster. (To have a level playing field I would also think England should have a national parliament since everyone else does, but thats another days arguement). Either that or a unitary state as existed pre 1922.

In addition, I just don;t understand the opinion of some that they'd accept a Federal British Isles republic but not a monarcchy. What is some peoples preoccupation with being anti-monarchy? Sometimes I find such opinions a bit "what have the Romans ever done for us". I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with monarchy .

I also reject the arguemnt that we are culturally distinct form the British - I couldn't disagree more. We share a common first language, sports, media and to be honest most things are common to both. Secondly there is no such thing as a homogenous "British culture" - the differences between Irish and British culure are no greater than differences between cultures within the Island of Britain itself, i.e. english v welsh v scottish v cornish.....etc.
If one considered Ireland as part of the Britsh isles, well then in a way Irish culture could be considered British in a way. More broadly we could be considered as all sharing a Britsih Isles Culture with regional variations and regions specific cultures. Thats how I like to think of it anyway.

Now, lets zoom in on Irish culture for a moment and I pose this question at the natioanlaists on here. Q.I imagine that it would be fair to say that culture is the norms and traditions of a people of a certain region. Northern protestant communities have been living in ireland for many many generations so would you consider thier culture of Orangism, protestantism parades etc to be A) an Irish culture or Foreign, British, English?

I would say A without a doubt. An Irish Culture specific to Ulster which is part of an over all British Isles culture.
I read earlier on this that some suggested that "unionists would persecute nationalist catholics" or whatever, well to that I say that you obviously haven't read anything about the persecution, which today would more or less be regarded as ethnic cleanseing, that took place in parts of Cork in the 1920s - not surprising since the "history" syllabus in Irish schools conveniently ignores anthing that that DeValeara would not approve of. Impartial me arse - it as biased as it gets. Even in primary schools, I remember my head master was a pure RA head - he would not allow soccer to be played in at play time - had to be Gaelic Football. WFT like and that was up to 1999.

So yeah I'm a unionist.

.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

mikemac1 wrote: »

That's what the Boundary Commission planned to do and counties would be split
Parts of Monaghan would be in NI but parts of Tyrone would not for example

But the plan was so radical it got rejected and they picked six counties

John Doe1 wrote: »

Yeah Derry city was meant to go to County Donegal and the town i live was going to be inside the ni border.

Incorrect, the changes were so minor that they would have no affect upon the viability of the northern statelet, hence they were rejected by nationalists. Two of the three commissioners were British, so it was a rigged decision from the start.